The Quote Hoarder: His Worthless Pride

The Quote Hoarder is a mini-series where I share some of my favorite quotes from different books, anime, manga, or shows.

“Talent is something you make bloom. Instinct is something you polish.”

― Oikawa Tooru, Haikyuu

For those of you who might not be familiar with this character, he’s the proud captain and setter of Aoba Johsai’s volleyball team from the anime series Haikyuu!!

Oikawa Tooru made a huge impression on me the first time I encountered his character in the anime. At first, I found his frivolous character amusing which often led to his hilarious interaction with teammate Iwaizumi that I also loved. But he had something more to offer as it usually turns out in a certain character trope. Underneath the swagger, the flamboyant displays, and the smug persona is someone who is serious about his craft.

“The chance to let your talent truly blossom, perhaps it’s today. Or maybe, it’s tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or next year … But if you yourself think that you don’t have talent, then you’ll probably never have it.”

He’s a tremendously passionate player with an insane dedication to his goals. His unrelenting pursuit of perfection, to chase that one hundred percent or even go beyond it. His inferiority complex pushing him to train hard. His competitive spirit demanding him to stay up late to watch the footages to analyze his enemies. And his drive and desperation not to lose to a prodigy sending him into that zone where he becomes his own worst enemy. His pride will not allow him to simply accept losing and he will fiercely keep trying to win until the end.

“If you’re going to hit it, hit it until it breaks.”

Oikawa could be a representation of most of us. Of normal people who strive for something. Above-average but not the best. Does his best and put in insane amounts of hours for something only to lose to some genius who just have the instinct for it.

Desperate, bitter at times, insecure, prideful and vulnerable. It might be odd that I like him for his negative sides but those qualities are what pushes him to work hard. His talent is something he crafted himself with his blood, sweat, and tears. (By the way, that’s a BTS reference right there folks. I cannot resist.)

“DON’T YOU EVER FORGET MY WORTHLESS PRIDE.”

I also have my own worthless pride to protect and I am my own worst enemy so I chose to share these quotes not only to gush over this passionate character but also to serve as a reminder. Admittedly, this might have turned out to be a character appreciation post but the quotes I shared above ties so much with his personality that I had to share a bit of his story.

For the love of words and quotes, feel free to join me any time! I’d love to know your favorite quotes. You can post your own or even a comment below will suffice.